Place Services Brochure.Indd

ABC Introducing Place Services

As a multi-disciplinary team, Place Services works as an extension of your team. With over 30 years’ experience in the public sector we share core values, and understand the challenges facing the planning profession today.

Our unique mix of skills and experience has generated a national reputation for excellence across both public and private sectors. Our expanding range of clients includes established links to statutory, professional and funding bodies.

We are ideally placed to assist planning authorities with the implementation of the National Planning Policy Framework through the preparation and implementation of Local Plans; from strategic review, through advice on development proposals to supporting the delivery of Neighbourhood Planning.

The Place Services team comprises of specialists in the following disciplines:-

We bring a positive, proactive, ﬂ exible team approach, using our experience and dedication to turn ideas into reality and to protect, enhance and monitor an ever changing environment.

Clients access our diverse range of services in a variety of ways; including, call-on-call-off contracts, locum ofﬁ cers and distinct project delivery and management. We have long been established to support local delivery, and are passionate about results.

The following pages provide more detailed information about some of the services we offer. Historic Environment

Place Services historic environment specialists lead in conserving and enhancing the historic environment, providing information and advice aimed at maximising the environmental, social and economic beneﬁ ts that the historic environment brings.

• Scrutiny, advice & management on the historic environment implications of planning applications • Local Plan policy development & guidance • Management and enhancement of Historic Environment Records • Projects to provide up-to-date evidence for Local Plans e.g. Historic Environment Characterisation, Conservation Area Appraisals, Protected Lanes surveys, thematic building surveys & aerial photography • Support for local community projects e.g. Neighbourhood Plans and local lists • Pre-planning information & advice for regeneration & other development proposals, including utilities & services. • Conservation Management planning & advice for green spaces & rural land holdings • Enhancement projects e.g. heritage interpretation & restoration of heritage assets • Local authority member and ofﬁ cer support and training Historic and Listed Buildings

Place Services historic buildings and conservation specialists are well renowned, providing a complete service for local planning authorities to steward and enhance traditional character, from farmsteads and rural settlements through to twentieth century urban contexts.

• Statutory planning advice for Listed Building consent & Conservation Areas • Pre-application discussion & scheme negotiation with homeowners & agents on behalf of the local planning authority; responses to planning applications • Developer liaison on sensitive projects & provision of heritage statements • Negotiation with planning agents & developers on behalf of LPA clients • Conservation Area Appraisals & Management Plans • Townscape analysis & building recording reports • Provision of award winning & nationally recognised training via the Traditional Building Skills course programme • Professional development seminars advancing built heritage awareness Urban Design and Town Centre Regeneration

Professional urban design input makes a huge difference to the quality, sustainability and success of planning policies, planning applications and regeneration projects. Our team offers a positive, consultative, value tested and ﬂ exible approach for local planning authorities:

• Design Review - LPA consultation, advice services & independent review • Design policy advice for LPAs for Local Plan documents • Town centre regeneration schemes • Housing renewal & growth strategies • Local support services for Neighbourhood Planning • Masterplans, design frameworks, review of larger schemes • Design guidance & codes e.g. Essex Design Guide • Development briefs & feasibility / viability studies • LPA asset disposal & site ﬁ nding services • Facilitation, training & community engagement work • High quality visuals - graphic interpretations of schemes Landscape, Public Realm and Community Engagement

Our landscape planning and design specialists support a rich variety of projects from green infrastructure to community planting and public art. We help to shape policy, assess landscape impact, facilitate community engagement, produce characterisation studies and design schemes.

• Development management / planning policy advice • Landscape character & impact assessment • Sustainable Urban Drainage (SuDS) guidance • Public realm & green open space design • Landscape & project management • Green infrastructure & landscape strategies • Strategic / development plans for public art • Artist commissioning & project management • Raising wellbeing via better living & learning environments • Enhancing ‘sense of place’ & community identity • Engaging people - creative community engagement Ecology and Biodiversity

Our ecology team provides deﬁ nitive guidance on natural environment issues helping clients interpret legislation, discharge their duty of care, plan positively for biodiversity protection and implement policies and projects using innovative approaches and cutting-edge technology.

• Development management & planning policy advice • Advice on wildlife legislation & policy including protected species • HRA (Habitats Regulations Assessment) for plans that may impact European Natural 2000 Sites (EU Directive 92/43/EEC) • Fund raising advice & support for grant applications • Ecological advice for local authority funded capital projects, including commissioning of Ecological Impacts Assessments & Protected Species Surveys • Habitat creation & management information & advice • GIS (Geographical Information Systems) ecological analysis • Creation of 3D modelling to communicate ecology & land use • One of ﬁ ve National Biodiversity Offsetting Pilot schemes (Defra) Planning

Our planning team supports local planning authorities to fulﬁ l their statutory duties in both the preparation of planning policy and the determination of planning applications.

Forward Planning We offer specialist skills in the preparation of Strategic Environmental Assessments and Sustainability Appraisals of development plan documents, strategic plans and other policy documents, and help clients identify where more in-depth analysis is required.

• Sustainability Appraisal (SA) incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) and Habitat Regulations Assessments (HRA) • Intelligent client training – one-off training sessions to ensure your planning team have the tools to commission legally compliant SEAs • Design and delivery of baseline data monitoring • Neighbourhood Planning • Workshop facilitation • Development Management

In addition to our work to ensure the delivery of sound local plans, our qualiﬁ ed planners can provide additional capacity to your team at times of increased pressure.

• Pre-application consultations • Determining minor planning applications • Capacity for work on major planning applications • EvaluatinEvaluatingg submissionsubmissionss relatinrelatingg to the dischardischargege of conditionconditionss Tree Services: Arboriculture

Our team of specialist and chartered arboriculturists brings extensive experience to survey, management, inspection, advice and litigation work. The team offers a ‘one-stop-shop’ approach to arboriculture and woodland services including:

• Tree safety & condition surveys • Contractor management & supervision • Planning advice – BS5837 survey reports (tree impacts in relation to design, demolition & construction work) • Tree related subsidence advice • Woodland management plans • Urban tree management plans • Tree Preservation Orders & conservation areas • Planting advice & scheme design • Climbing inspections • Identiﬁ cation, valuation & data analysis • Litigation support (expert witness) Contact Us

For further information please contact us:

By email: [email protected]

By telephone: 01245 437162

By post: Place Services at Essex County Council County Hall, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1QH

Document Images Front cover: Integrated public art (Jacqueline Poncelet); Flitch Green Primary School, Essex Ecology and Biodiversity: Planting day at Abberton Reservoir, Essex Wildlife Trust Historic Environment: The castle mound, Mount Bures, Essex Landscape, Public Realm and Community Engagement: Community planting day, Jaywick, Essex Urban Design and Town Centre Regeneration: Sustainable development model, Urban Place Supplement guidance on higher density development Historic and Listed Buildings: The Guildhall, Thaxted, Essex Tree Services, Arboriculture: Managed veteran pollard hornbeams Current Clients

Partners and Awards

Accredited Traditional LOCOG London 2012 Sustainability Building Skills courses: Ambassador Award

Training partner: Framework consultant:

October 2012